Good evening and welcome to a Nightline Face Off.
Our question tonight is a very provocative one.
Does Satan exist?
This is my question: I'm a Christian.
I don't believe in the devil
or anything like that. Does that mean that I'm going to hell?
There's some type of evil out there. I don't know if it's the devil but there are evil things out there.
Welcome to Face the Truth, a program brought to you by the Church of Christ.
I am Brother Barry Thompson.
John Dillinger, Al Capone,
were some of the most notorious gangsters in their day.
Adolf Hitler, Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein,
were some of the most notorious dictators in their time.
Now the mere mention of the names of these men brings thoughts of crime, terror and death.
These men and others like them were responsible for the death of
hundreds of thousands to millions of people.
However, their crimes against society, no matter how severe, do not come even close
to the one that we will study about today,
the all time Public Enemy #1.
Who is and has been man's #1 enemy?
Let's read what is written in the book of I Peter, the chapter is 5 and
the verse is 8
This is what the Holy Scriptures tell us:
Take note, the Bible mentions about the devil.
The devil is looking for someone in whom he may devour.
Now why do we believe that the devil is mankind's #1 enemy,
especially when there have been people like Hitler who was responsible for the death of millions?
How about Genghis Khan, the ruler of the Mongol empire,
who some estimate to have killed around 40 million or more during his time?
Now today, people will think of Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden as the very worse.
Now most won't even think about the devil.
Now why is the devil the worst?
When did he start murdering people
and when all is said and done, how many will be his victims?
Let's read what the Lord Jesus Christ says in the book of John
the chapter is 8 and the verse is 44
And so the Lord Jesus Christ tells us
that the devil has been a murderer since the beginning.
Now why did Christ say that the devil has been a murderer since the beginning?
Who were the first victims of the devil?
This is what Apostle Paul says in II Corinthians
the chapter is 11 and the verse is 3.
Now Apostle Paul tells us that the serpent or the devil deceived Eve, the first woman.
And we know it was not only the first woman,
but even the first man, Adam, was also deceived by the devil.
Now what was the result of the first couple
being deceived by Satan, or the devil?
Let's now go to Romans chapter 5
and the verse is 12
again from the Apostle Paul, he says this:
When the first couple sinned,
death entered the world and death spread to all men because all sinned.
Now this is the reason why Christ said that the devil has been a murderer from the beginning
because he tempts man to go against God's commands and laws.
And when man breaks God's commandments
or God's laws, he commits a sin and the result of sin is death.
So without a question then, he is
Public Enemy #1, the devil that is,
the most notorious murderer of all time,
the number of his victims is too staggering to count.
In fact, of all of the murders, the killings and atrocities committed throughout history combined
cannot come close to what the devil has done.
Now the only difference is
he has not gotten as much publicity as others like Hitler or Saddam Hussein.
And the truth is, no one talks about him much
which is a part of his scheme or his way of doing things.
Now how many will be the victims of the devil when all is said and done?
Let's go to the book of Revelation
the chapter is 20
and the verses are 7 to 10.
After the Day of Judgment,
at the final battle, the number of those deceived by Satan is as the sand of the sea,
meaning innumerable. Don't bother to count anymore.
Now what will happen to Satan and all those who
are deceived by him and will be deceived by him?
They will be thrown into the lake of fire which the Bible calls as the second Death
where they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
So the most notorious men in history,
they were feared in their time.
And so people would do their best to avoid becoming their victims.
Yet in the case of the devil,
the most dangerous of all to mankind's welfare,
many are unaware of his existence
and even if they are aware, are not necessarily worried.
Now usually when the devil is mentioned, people will think of things like
what they see in the movies: demonic possessions,
satanic rituals and other evil things.
Now since these things are not everyday occurrences,
then it may seem that the devil is not at work.
But how busy is the devil?
And how does he operate?
We'll find out when we return on Face the Truth.